This invention concerns a therapeutic chewing gum which can be used to maintain the minerals balance of human physiological fluids, particularly during strenuous physical activity. The chewing gum composition of this invention, comprising relatively high concentrations of sodium and potassium salts in a critical weight ratio, when orally utilized supplements the minerals assimilated by physiological fluids.
During periods of unusual physical or mental activity the human body may lose as much as 10 percent of its total fluids content. The principal source of body fluids is the bloodstream. Consequently, after a heavy loss of fluids there may be a substantial reduction in the blood supply to the muscles. A reduction in the blood supply causes muscles to cramp as waste products accumulate. A reduction in the blood supply also causes the body temperature to rise due to reduced circulation at the skin surface resulting in heat exhaustion.
Lost fluid can be replaced by drinking. As fluid is put into the stomach, the body responds by preparing the fluid for assimilation. This process requires the addition of sodium and potassium salts. Fluids are ready for assimilation when they reach about a one percent saline solution. If there is an insufficient supply of sodium and potassium salts in the stomach, the body supplies these minerals by pulling them away from existing body minerals.
In order to avoid stressing the existing minerals content of the body, it is a common practice to ingest supplemental quantities of the salts as well as fluid. Since the salts are readily soluble, they are almost immediately dissolved and assimilated in the body. However, in order to maintain a normal balance between the minerals' supply to the stomach and the body's assimilation of the minerals, it is desirable to avoid an instantaneous ingestion of a large quantity of salt followed by a prolonged period of exertion. It is preferable to maintain the minerals balance by a more or less continuous supply of minerals to the stomach. One way which has been suggested to supply minerals to the body, without the need to ingest large doses of salts, is by drinking fluids which already contain the desired concentration of salts. While this suggestion is more satisfactory than simply ingesting tablets of salt, it has shortcomings. In particular, the user loses control over the content of salt, and must consume fluids sometimes under physically difficult circumstances.
Accordingly, there is a definite need to provide a means of easily maintaining the minerals balance of human physiological fluids without the need to spontaneously ingest distastefully large doses of sodium and potassium salts. The therapeutic chewing gum composition of this invention fulfills this need.
Chewing gum compositions are well known. In fact, various therapeutic agents have been suggested as adjuvants for chewing gum. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,932,608 granted Jan. 13, 1976 to Anderson et al describes food compositions, such as chewing gum, containing cariostatic and nutritional fortification agents; U.S. Pat. No. 3,075,884 granted Jan. 29, 1963 to Bilotti et al describes chewing gum compositions containing enzymes, antacids, vitamins, and the like; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,866 granted Apr. 11, 1972 to /Bilotti describes a sugarless gum containing dicalcium phosphate dihydrate.
Heretofore, chewing gum has not been considered as a suitable vehicle for delivery of minerals, particularly sodium and potassium salts, to the stomach. The supplemental ingestion of sodium and potassium salts present difficult aesthetic problems. Effective concentrations of salts, particularly the combination of sodium and potassium salts, have an extremely objectionable taste. Masking the objectionable taste, while continuously supplying the salts is a difficult problem. Flavorings tend to dissipate more readily than the taste of the salts. Moreover, sodium and potassium salts readily absorb moisture from their environment and accordingly leach out of many solid ingestible vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,631,119 discloses a therapeutic appetite satiant composition which can be taken using a chewing gum vehicle. The therapeutic composition contains sodium chloride. The synergistic effect of additional constituents, such as sodium glutamate, on the taste of the composition is particularly noted. In order to overcome this problem, protein hydrolysate is added and only small quantities of the composition are added to each slab of gum. While such a composition delivered in relatively small quantities may provide appetite satiant properties, the use of small concentrations of sodium salt alone is insufficient to provide balanced mineral supplementation to the human body.